For Remnant, a RWBY au
by STRQ
Summary: Three friends, driven apart. their descendants and followers, fighting. can the latest of the Ancient lines uncover the truth, and restore true peace to Remnant?
1. Prologue

**So , I only got one vote on what to write, so here's the prologue and backstory of this "For Honor" inspired RWBY AU. hope you enjoy, and be sure to leave a review!**

 _Thousands of years ago, there were three powerful friends. Marwin Schnee, Quan Belladonna, and Nathaniel Rose. born in the same village, they grew up together, fighting, fleeing, and learning by each others side. Then, sometime in their middle years, something happened. There is no record of what occurred, but it split the friends apart. The Three, as they were know, drifted apart, Marwin to the north, Quan to the east. Nathaniel stayed where he was. Many years later, the grandson of Nathaniel Rose, Samuel, gathered many followers and went in search of his father's friends descendants, searching for the answer. They called themselves Knights, and their kingdom, Vale. they first went to the north, were Marwin had gone, and found what they considered "savages". These were the legacy of Marwin, his family and followers. They called themselves Vikings, in the land of Atlas. Turning from the northlands, they then traveled south and east, where the third friend had went. He found a refined but uptight culture, who claimed to be Samurai, on the beautiful continent of was slightly in awe of their power, and enlisted the current leader, Zei Kiao-Belladonna, in attacking the savages in the north. She agreed, but the attack failed, as the cold temperatures were unlike anything either had dealt with before. The Vale Knights and Mistral Samurai retreated. Returning back to their respective domains, there was an unexpected surprise for the Knights. Their kingdom had been ransacked by the Samurai while they were gone. Enraged, they sent an armed emissary to Zei, only to receive a severed head in return. The samurai had taken the armed emissary as an act of war, and had returned it. Thus began a great war. The Vikings, Knights and Samurai all attacking each other. Alliances broke as fast as they formed. Despite this,all three kingdoms grew and prospered, until one day, the great great great grandchildren of the original Three, Summer Rose, Jacques Schnee, and Ghira Belladonna met in neutral territory. Each only 20 at the time, they infiltrated their societies chain of command, forcing an uneasy truce between the domains._

 _There was, however, one, small issue to be resolved. Where to send exiled people. At first, it seemed Atlas would be forced to take them in, but Atlas suggested a smaller island to the south of Mistral, known as Menagerie, but mistral claimed it was their territory, for the express use of the current emperor to vacation on. Just when it seemed fighting would break out again, Summer Rose proposed a compromise: the western half of the Vale continent would be set aside, as long as Atlas and Mistral provided border guards. The deal was sealed, and thus the kingdom of Vale was halved, and the barren land known as Vacuo was established. Now, thousands of years after the death of The Three, and decades after The Peace, three descendants of the ancient line will strive to uncover the mystery of what drove their ancestors apart. They are: Ruby Rose, the most talented knight of Vale. Weiss Schnee, the most beautiful of the Vikings, and Blake Belladonna, the stealthy Ninja of the Samurai. Together, along with the help of the daughter of an exiled man, Yang Xiao Long, who searched for a way to redeem her father and lift his exile. Together can these four girls uncover the mystery, and what will it cost them if they do?_


	2. a knight, samurai, viking and a girl

**Here's the first chapter of For Remnant. In it, we will go over the four characters, with a little background and the lifestyle of each domain. This story will be uploaded on Wednesday and occasionally Friday, if I write enough. This story will be bigger per chapter that my other story, so I hope you enjoy!**

 **Vale**

Ruby Rose sat on the battlements, staring out over the countryside. The farmland stretched as far to the east as she could see, though she knew it ended eventually, giving way to the harbor and fish markets. Soon, she would travel there, to begin her journey as a Knight, but first, she must finish up her training here, at Signal Castle.

Sighing, she turned and hopped of of the crenellations, her light armor making almost no noise. Her armor consisted of pauldrons on each shoulder, greaves, and vambraces, all over a chainmail hauberk. She also had a simple iron helmet, but she only wore it during practice or while traveling. Most of the other knights-in-training thought she was foolish to wear so little armor, but Ruby prefered to be able to stay mobile. As a matter of fact, whenever they scoffed at her lack of armor, she reminded them that not one of them had landed a hit on her during sparring.

Returning to her room, she took off her armor, and changed into her plain clothes, a simple red gown trimmed with red fox fur, and matching bodice with black lacing. As she was about to head out to find the cook, and get food, she decided to check on her weapon. Going to the weapon rack, she pulled out her sword. The blade, two and a half feet long, two inches wide at the base, all made of steel. A simple cross guard, leather wrapped grip, and round pommel set with a single bright ruby. Sighing again, she returned it to its scabbard, and went off to find something to eat.

 **Mistral**

If the large crowd outside the dojo didn't tell the citizens of mistral something amazing was going on, then the presence of the emperor's elite guard would. Though the guard blocked all view into the dojo, if one were able to see inside, they would have witnessed the following scene.

Three fully armored samurai, katanas drawn, surrounding a single small figure clad in only suneate, haidate, kote, sode, and dou. Foregoing the kusazuri, kabuto and mengu may have seemed like a poor decision, however, as the three samurai attacked, the figure simply rolled out of the way, slashing upward with their wakizashi. The samurai fell, not injured, as they all used practice swords. Jumping back to avoid a double slash from the other samurai, the figure drew a second wakizashi, then dashed forward, diving into a roll as the samurai attacked, rising up behind them turning and stabbing forward, hitting each in the mid back with enough force to make them stumble.

Standing up among her "dead" foes, she looked to the emperor, sitting on a throne carried by four more samurai. He nodded, but did not speak. Then at a gesture, the four samurai carried the emperor out, the elite guard forming a protective wall around him. The three fallen samurai got up and left as well. Only after all the people left did a wizened old man step forward.

"You are doing well, Blake-san. Even the emperor approves of you."

"Thank you, sensei, I believe I will go rest now."

"A wise choice...Blake-kun, there is no need to be nervous about tomorrow, you have the emperor on your side"

She did not respond, instead, she bid her teacher farewell, and headed back to her family's home. Changing into her black jinbei, she collapsed onto her futon, and was soon asleep.

 **Atlas**

Weiss stood on the small hill, snow blowing in the wind, her hair braided to keep an enemy from grabbing hold of it during battle. Below her, the small herd of wild goats stirred, possibly detecting approaching danger. Weiss didn't worry, as she was downwind from them.

Studying the terrain, she sheathed her sword, a stout blade three feet in length. Drawing her bow, she slowly pulled an arrow from her quiver, careful not to make much noise. Pulling the arrow back, she took aim at the largest goat aiming for the heart. Adjusting for the wind, she waited one moment, then released. The arrow would've killed it instantly, had the goat not taken a step forward. As it was, the goat was gravely injured and he fell to the ground as the rest fled.

Slinging the bow across her back, she approached the buck, being careful of his horns. Pulling out her saxe, she quickly stabbed it in the head, killing it. Tying it up she started back to her village, being sure to mark the direction the herd had fled.

Upon her return, she was greeted with praise for having killed such a large goat, which would add a day's worth of food to their stores. Dropping the goat at the butcher's house, she returned to her father's house, taking off her boots at the entrance and stowing all but her saxe in the weapon storage room. Her father, the chief of the village, was in a clan meeting and would not return for hours.

She was glad, for her father never approved of her hunting, instead telling her that she should marry, as any viking lad would be more than willing to marry her. It was for that reason Weiss never wore the clothes her father got her, instead wearing a plain white tunic with trousers, purposely dressing as a man. Scoffing at the thought of marriage, she grabbed her throwing axes, going out to the training field, where she spent an hour working on hitting a target at increasing distances, ultimately being unable to hit the target at 16 paces.

Shrugging, she gathered her weapons and resolved to train even harder.

 **Border of Vale and Vacuo**

"But father, you're innocent" she told him for the hundredth time "you should not be here"

"Yang, unless you find some evidence that would convince the council, the ruling will stand"

Yang crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. Her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, was being exiled for the supposed murder of a royal guard in an attempt to infiltrate the palace. The emperor himself had delivered the verdict of exile, and Yang was only glad he hadn't let his little pet loose on her father.

"Yang Xiao Long, my sunny little dragon. The Xiao Longs my not be an ancient line like the Belladonnas, but we...we are strong. Don't think of this as the end of your training with the samurai. Think of it as a new beginning elsewhere."

Smiling, Tai hugged his daughter, as their last minute of time together drew to a close, and the border guards, Vikings by the look of it, dragged him away, throwing him into the back of a two horse cart, which then sped off. She knew that they would stop several miles out, then dump him in the desert. Exile victims all had the same sentence: 30 years of exile after which, if you survived, you could rejoin society.

He father would be an old man in thirty years, and yang would be well on her way. So she vowed, as the cart disappeared from sight, that she would get her father's exile revoked, no matter the cost. First, she would need to head north, because the ex-samurai decided it was time to become her father's knight.

 **So there's the first chapter, i had so much fun looking up historically accurate armor, weapons and clothing for the knights, samurai and vikings. (sarcasm overload)** **anyway, looking back now I realized that both Blake and Ruby wear less armor, and that both Ruby's long sword, Blake's wakizashi and Weiss's viking sword are all around the same length. Guess some other characters will have to have bigger swords. Or smaller daggers. For anyone who is wondering, there are no semblances, or aura. And yes, before you type me a furious pm or review, Ruby and Yang are not related. This is for a reason, the reason being that Ruby is of the Rose lineage, and if she and yang were related, it'd throw off my "three" (also Weiss has no sister, anymore. More on that later)**


	3. Fealty

**Ladies, gentlemen, writers of all kinds, here's the moment you all have been waiting for! Or, you know, not. There's only three followers. So far. Well anyway, the moment Ruby and Yang meet this is a month after the last chapter.**

She drew her sword, the blade gleaming in the sun. in front of her stood another knight, with the gold bird emblem of the Winchester House. Her own symbol, a red rose, gleamed faintly on her left pauldron.

Her foe hefted his mace, charging her. However, with his full suit of armor, and heavy weapon, he stood no chance. Strafing to the left, she swung her sword at his back, however, he managed to turn and block with his mace. The result of his hasty block was that his mace kept going, pulling him with it. Stepping forward, se delivered a kick to his back, and he went down hard.

"That's the match!" cried the judge, a retired knight named Peter Port. "The win goes to Miss. Ruby Rose, continuing her undefeated winning streak."

Ruby sighed. The knight, who had gotten up and removed his helmet revealing burnt orange hair and indigo eyes. Scowling at her, he brushed off his armor and turned to leave, nor before spitting a threat.

"You better watch yourself _Rose_ "

The spectators began filing out of the arena, talking with each other and shooting glances at Ruby. she had grown used to it, but it still wasn't fun. It was all because of her last name, Rose. being the great something granddaughter of the founder of the Knights and setler of Vale was a burden that only two other people she knew of carried.

Sheathing her weapon, she went where she always went when she was troubled: the ramparts. Staring out over the fields and hills, looking to the distant horizon always calmed her. She had been staring for several minutes when she noticed something new off the the east. It was a small bump on the horizon that she was sure hadn't been there when she first got up here.

After another minute, she realized it was moving, coming closer. Another minute later she recognised it as a single horse bearing one rider. Not fifteen seconds later the sentries rang the bells to announce someone approaching from the east. *ding...ding-ding...ding-dong,ding-dong* _one, east, horseback._

Rushing down to the gate, she watched as the rider approached. Thought the gated had been opened inward, the portcullis was still down. Soon enough the rider rode up to the gates, raising a hand in greeting, while also showing they were unarmed. They wore a patterned dress, no, a kimono. Visitors from the eastern kingdom were few and far between. Their hair was long, golden and curly. Their eyes were an interesting shade of lavender. They wore no armor, but as she drew closed Ruby noticed a pendant around her neck. They han no apparent weapons.

Ruby wondered how comfortable riding was in that garb, as the guards quickly conversed with her, then let her in. then she was taken to see the lord of the castle, Qrow Branwen. He was, like most other lords and ladies, a Royal Knight, a part of King Ozpin's court. Ruby, curious as always, followed behind, and watched as they went into the audience chamber.

Cautiously peeking around the corner, she saw Lord Branwen on his small throne, both legs over the armrest. The two guards from the gte knelt respectively, and, after glancing at them, the woman did as well.

"Speak, traveler, and state your name and purpose." the lord drawled in a bored tone.

The woman rose, facing him directly and spoke

"Lord, sir, i am yang Xiao Long, and I come seeking training in the ways of the Knights"

At this, Lord Qrow, swung his legs forward, sitting fully upright, and interested gleam in his eye.

The guards too looked up surprised, then once again bowed their heads respectively.

"Guards, you are dismissed. Go and do some guarding"

Ruby quickly hid behind a statue, watching as the guards went by. Then she went back to sneakily listening in.

"...Xiao Long huh? From mistral I assume. Why would a girl from the land of the Samurai want to be a Knight?"

"I...have my reasons." she shifted nervously. "Will you let me train here or not?"

"Well you see..to be a true Knight, you do want to be a true Knight, yes?" he looked at her, and she nodded

"Well then you will need someone to let you be a part of their house. Only members of a Knightly house can be Knights."

"What...what does that mean?"

He looked at her gravely "you will need a member of a family to sponsor you, and eventually swear fealty to that family. Not only that, but the family will need to accept you first."

At that moment Ruby's body decided to fail her, and she fell face first into the room. Even better, as she was still wearing her armor and sword, she made as much noise as possible. Both Yang and Lord Qrow turned and looked at her, Yang with surprise, the Lord with disapproval. Standing up quickly and fixing her armor, she walked forward and knelt before the lord.

"My lord..I couldn't help but overhear." Ruby began

"I bet you couldn't" responded Lord Qrow, with a wry smile

Blushing, Ruby decided to press on.

"Well, my lord, I would…take her in my house"

Looking up she saw that Lord Qrow looked pensive, and looking to her left, saw that Yang looked even more surprised. Ruby could understand why. She had just arrived, and already was being offered a place within the ranks and a chance to be a Knight.

"Well...I was...not expecting that…" Lord Qrow sat back staring at the two girls. "Well, then I suppose you know what to do. Whenever you're ready, Miss. Rose"

Yang looked over at the smaller girl with renewed amazement. It was then that she noticed the emblem on the girls armor, a stylized red rose, symbol of house Rose. she had no idea what she was supposed to do. She started nervously as she drew her sword, however, she offered the sword to her.

"Just do what i say" she whispered, with a small smile. Then she stepped back.

"Now, repeat after me, Yang, of family Xiao Long"

"I promise on my faith, that I will be faithful to the family"

"I promise on my faith, that I will be faithful to the family" Yang repeated

"I will never cause them harm, and will observe my homage to them completely"

She paused, the repeated it back to her. "I will never cause them harm, and will observe my homage to them completely"

"Fighting against all enemies to the house, in good faith and without deceit"

"Fighting against all enemies to the house, in good faith and…" she hesitated "and without deceit"

Ruby smiled. "Now you present my sword to me"

Instinctively, Yang knelt, holding the sword out to her. She felt it leave her hands, the seconds later, Ruby spoke

"Now rise, my vassal, and join me in the journey to Knighthood."

Yang rose, a feeling growing in her chest, it was a feeling she hadn't felt for awhile. A feeling of belonging. Looking at the younger girl, she knew that this was the person she could trust. A small smile was adorned on her face, and Yang felt herself smiling back.

"Welcome to house rose, Yang Xiao Long"

*ding...ding-ding-ding-ding...ding-dong,ding-dong*

 _One, west, horseback_

 **Not much for me to say. Next chapter we look more into blake, and what she's done in the last month. Title sneak peek: "The Journey"**


	4. The Journey

**So here we are again, with three more characters "allegiances" revealed, because everyone wants to know whether their favorite character is a Knight, Samurai, or Viking. Though honestly the three were pretty obvious.**

 **Mistral: Haven Palace**

Blake stood in front of the doors of the imperial palace, nervous tension coiling her body, causing her shoulders arms and legs to stiffen to the point of being unable to move. Taking several deep breaths, as her sensei often instructed her.

Concentrating on her hands she slowly took several deep breaths, breathing in slowly through her nose, holding for a seven count, then out through her mouth, feeling the tension drain away.

Yesterday had been an exhausting day, starting with a training session with the most elite royal Samurai, Pyrrha Nikos. After training with her for hours, she had her normal raining with her sensei, then, after those hours, a round of fights against various opponents, all with the emperor himself in attendance, ending with the fight against three of his guard, thankfully not Pyrrha though.

Now she was here at the Palace, to ask the emperor for permission to leave on a journey, one that most would not approve of. And though she had to ask the emperor, it was his wife, the empress consort who she really had to impress.

Entering the throne room, she saw the emperor, sitting on his gilded throne, wearing an ivory Kimono with jade woven into the fabric. On his forehead, the Imperial Pearl rested, the sign of the Emperor's wisdom. Next to him sat the Empress, wearing an elegant Junihitoe, tho layers ranging from ivory of the tusk white to spring apple blossom pink.

Blake herself was wearing her best kimono, pure black with a white sash around the waist that would normally hide the belt for her wakizashi, but weapons were not allowed in the royal palace except by before them, she waited for the count of five, then rose, as per tradition.

"Speak." said the emperor

"Heika," she said, addressing the emperor "I wish to leave Mistral, and go on a journey, to find the others of the ancient bloodlines. I believe, after all these years, it is time for The Tree to return."

The emperor looked pensive, looking at her as he considered her request. Next to him the empress looked impassive as always, but Blake was sure she saw a hint of surprise. The silence went on, for so long that Blake could hear the royal attendants outside to room shifting in place as they eavesdropped.

"Belladonna-kun." Blake felt the nerves rise in her as the Emperor called her name. "I have considered you request and…" the whole palace seemed to hold its breath. "I grant you permission. May your journey fare well. You are dismissed"

Bowing once again, Blake could feel the huge smile on her face, but quickly hid it as she rose from her bow, at least, until she had backed out of the room, being sure not to turn her back on the emperor. Once out of the room, she glanced at all of the attendants and guards milling around as if they hadn't just been listening.

Laughing lightly, she went back to her house, gathering her supplies into a pack, changing from her dress kimono into her kote, almost the reverse of her dress Kimono, this one being white with vertical black stripes on the sleeves.

She also wore her weapon belt, with both wakizashi, one on each side. Over this went her armor. Leaving her house, she went quickly to her Sensei's dojo. Arriving outside, she found a surprise, not only was her sensei there, but also the two most talented Samurai in the Royal Court, Lie Ren and Pyrrha Nikos. Stopping, he bowed to them wondering why such elite people would be here.

"Ren-sama, Nikos-sama, your presence honors me. Sensei, the emperor has granted my wish, I have come to bid you farewell. I was not expecting such honored guests."

"Indeed, Blake-kun. I was as surprised as you when they arrived, however, they wish to speak with you in private. I shall go inside and make us some green tea, yes?"

And so saying, her sensei went back into the dojo, leaving Blake with two Samurai who very much intimidated her. Taking a deep breath, she waited for them to speak, as a sign of respect.

"Blake-kun" said Lie Ren, known as the Jade Blade, "It is rare for such a young samurai to be given leave from mistral. Most your age would be given positions within the realm. And one such as you could surely gain Imperial favor and join the Royal Guard. If you would enlighten me, i would like to know what could drive such a talented young samurai like you to give up a chance at such a coveted position."

Blake paused a moment, weighing her options. He was quite a high ranked Samurai, only out ranked by the woman next to him. He would find out eventually, no matter how tight security was.

"You ask what drives me? What drives me is seeking knowledge. I want to know what could have happened ages ago to drive my ancestor to part ways with his friends. To help me in this matter, i must find the other remaining members of the other two lines, the Rose, and the Schnee" Blake replied, looking him in the eye.

"So you are trying to reform The Three?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yes, that is the end goal" replied Blake. Pyrrha nodded then bowed to Blake.

"That is all i came for, though i believe Ren-sama has something else to ask of you." with that, Pyrrha walked away, heading in the direction of the palace. Blake looked at Lie Ren, wondering what else the samurai might want. Clearing his throat, he spoke.

"Once, when i was on a mission as an emissary to Atlas, I...met someone" Blake felt the beginning of laughter in her chest, wondering if he was about to say what she thought.

"It was a woman, a powerful Viking Warrior named Nora Valkyrie. If you could, possibly bring this letter to her, i would be forever in you debt. Please, Blake-Sama."

It took all of Blake's will not to laugh. Such a high class samurai of Mistral falling for a rough and wild viking from Atlas. Bowing to him she responded

"I would be honored, though i plan on finding the Rose first, when i reach Atlas i will keep a lookout for this Valkyrie, Ren-Sama." she took the letter, placing it in her pack. With another bow from each of them, Lie Ren departed, and Blake went into the dojo, to enjoy one last cup of tea with her sensei for many months.

* * *

 **Vale: West of Signal Castle**

Sighing, Blake turned her horse around, thanking the villager who had put her back on track once more. Her journey had started easily enough, crossing the narrow strait between Mistral and Vale. she then started asking where she could find a person with the last name Rose. she found out that a girl with that last name was currently in residence at Signal Castle.

Unfortunately, the island it was on, Patch, was on the other coast of Vale. she could either take a slower path across the kingdom, dealing with the dangers of the road, or she could go back and sail around the north of the kingdom, less direct, but quicker.

Deciding on speed over directness she contracted a small ship to sail her around the north to get her to the Island of Patch, Signal Castle, and most importantly, the current Rose. The trip went by almost uneventfully, except for her horse, Moon, acting up. Then as they were a day out from the island, a storm hit, sending them off course. The landed on the island, but at the western end rather than the eastern end.

Now as she rode up, she could hear bells ringing, though she didn't know their meaning, being used to hearing pitched gongs announcing strangers. Riding around the castle, she approached the front gates, and announced her name and purpose.

"Hail, Knights. I am Blake Belladonna, a Samurai from Mistral. I come here seeking a girl, by the name of Rose, for i have an offer for her"

There was some shuffling behind the gates, as the presumably sent a courier into the castle. A few minutes later, the portcullis rose upwards then the gates swung outward. Out of them strode a knight wearing armor, with a sheathed sword at her side. She removed her helmet, silver eyes flashing with curiosity.

"My name's Ruby. Ruby Rose. I heard you wanted to speak with me?"

 **Boom, cliff hanger! Hahah. Anyways, after this is a Weiss chapter, then back to Signal Castle. Until next time.**


	5. Weiss Cold

**Welcome back to For Remnant, where I feel I've been ignoring Weiss, so here's a chapter dedicated to her. No arriving at Signal for Weiss, I promise.**

Weiss sighed in frustration, wanting to glare at her father but knowing there was nothing it would achieve. Her father, Jacques Schnee, sat at the head of the table, Weiss at his right, her younger brother, Whitley to his left. At the other end sat his main rival-turned-partner, James Ironwood.

The Schnee and Ironwood clans were the strongest around, though recently Schnee had grown more than Ironwood. The reason being the deaths of James's two lieutenants, Winter, Weiss's sister, and Penny, from the Polendina clan. However, he still had several guards with him, including the famed viking known as Nora Valkyrie, aka "lightning hammer".

Ironwood leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he once again addressed Jaques.

"All I want to know, Schnee, is how _two,_ nt one bit _two_ of my clanmates with ties to you died in unknown circumstances. And you and I both know for a fact they were both amazing fighters"

While James looked tense as if ready for a fight, Jacques looked at ease, unconcerned.

"I don't know what you think you're implying, James, but those deaths had nothing to do with e and everything to do with the harsh conditions we live in"

James suddenly slammed a fist onto the table. "Your eldest daughter who left you for my clan, found dead put down to extreme cold. One of the most talented fighters to be born to any clan, found torn apart after she refused to join your clan, attributed to wild animals."

He paused, leaning back resting one hand casually near his hand axe.

"I think, and I am not the only one, that you decided that since you couldn't have them, that no one could" he smiled, but there was no humor in it.

Her father remained impassive "I think you need to leave my house" he said in a deadly serious tone "before your hand strays any nearer your weapon and I have you arrested for attempted murder"

The two clan leaders stared each other down for several minutes before James gave a signal to his guard and they filed out of the house. Weiss breathed a sigh of relief, and of sadness at the reminder of her sister's death.

"Well, father, I think that is the best you could have hoped for, given the circumstances" said Whitley, ever her father's pawn. Weiss already knew her father intended to hand over his leadership to him, instead of to her, the eldest child. It was one of the reasons why she trained to fight with weapons rather than words.

Getting up, she headed to her room as her father and brother plotted together. She had to change out of the stupid dress her fther had forced her to wear for the meeting. Once she was back in her normal clothes, she once again headed out to the training field to throw her axes.

After another hour of training, she threw her axes into the ground in frustration, still unable to hit the target at more than 16 paces. Suddenly a voice spoke from behind her.

"You'll never improve that way"

Weiss turned round angrily, only to see none other than James Ironwood watching her.

"Excuse me?" she said, quite insulted.

The leader shrugged "you are trying to throw overhand, something someone with your build will never accel at. You should instead try throwing it by spinning and letting it fly from your side. It will take a while to become accurate, but you will get more distance."

Weiss was at a loss for words, and just watched as he walked away, leaving with one last thing to say: "Also, you shouldn't throw you axes in the ground, you'll wear down the blade"

* * *

It had been almost two months since the encounter with Ironwood at the training field, and she had to admit, he had been right. She could not just hit the target at 20 paces, but had actually managed to throw her axe so hard the target stump had but cut clean in half.

At first she had missed her target, once almost cutting another person's leg off. After that incident, she had the field to herself when she came, until she started becoming very accurate.

Another problem she had come across was dizziness. After practicing for hours she would be dizzy and slightly nauseous. She still hadn't found out how to solve it, but she had improved in other areas.

After mastering one axe, she moved on to throwing both, one after the other, something she hadn't been able to to do when throwing the old way. She felt confident that, if put up against an enemy, even an armored one, she could at least damage them enough that she could finish them off.

It was the rarity of armor among the vikings that made her want to improve so much. She had her bow for long range, axes for mid, and her sword for close quarters. She knew from what few envoys the received that neither Samurai nor Knights were so...flexible in battle, both groups specializing in either long or close combat.

The only problem weiss had, the question she asked herself, was how she would handle real combat against other humans. The only things her bow had been drawn on were wild animals, the only action her axes and sword had seen was against practice dummies.

She wasn't even sure if she could strike hard enough to penetrate metal armor. due to the lack of metal armor among the Vikings those who did have it did not use it for practice, for fear of damaging it. Most Vikings were simply too poor to afford such a luxury.

Though Weiss knew her father could afford it, she knew the only person he would by metal armor for was Whitley, if Whitley ever decided be a warrior. She already knew her father knew about her weapons, as it was his money that purchased them, however, he didn't know the extent of her training.

If he ever found out, she shuddered to think what he would do, though she suspected it would involve the selling of her weapons and the forcing of her to marry some other wealthy Viking guy so her father could seize control of another tribe.

Sighing, she sheathed her sword, and put her axes on her belt, slinging her bow and quiver across her back. Heading south from her clans temporary village, she went out hunting, hoping to find some goats, or bird, or even possibly deer, a rare delight her clan would love.

She had been out for an hour, veering east for a while before heading back west. It was then that she found the prints. Horse prints, showing three horsed, all with riders heading north toward her village. Further examination showed they were recent, possibly only ten minutes away, and traveling slowly.

Running alongside the tracks, she came up behind the riders, slowing down as they came into sight, stealthly following behind of the riders appeared smart, riding shaggy northern horses and thick furs. The third, while also wearing furs, was for some reason riding a sleek black horse, clearly suited to warmer climates.

Drawing her bow and nocking an arrow, she called for them to halt and state their purpose. All three turned their horses around, seemingly confused as to why a single person would challenge three mounted ones. Then the apparent leader spoke.

"We are travelers from the south, and we are looking for someone. Might you lead us to the Schnee clan village?" the girl was young, with silver eyes that seemed to swirl like pools of molten metal.

"Who is it you search for?" she asked, keeping her bow trained on them, constantly shifting her target between the three. Then the one on the left spoke, the one with the southern horse.

"We seek the current eldest Schnee child. I am a Belladonna, and she is a Rose" said she, pointing at herself and the silver eyed companion.

Weiss relaxed the arrow, returning it to the quiver then replacing her bow on her back. Then she spread her arms

"Well, you found her then. My name is Weiss Schnee."

 **Bwahahaha! Another cliffhanger! Also like i said, no one ended up at signal, but signal did end up in Atlas. Next is another journey chapter then some more meeting and greeting with The New Three getting to know each other then…..adventure, mystery, fighting, Jaune. Weiss will leave her father, Blake will amaze and astonish, Ruby will Be tried and tormented and...Jaune! (Nora reference, anyone?)**


	6. Moving North: Part One

**Ok, maybe all the things promised I the a/n of the last chapter didn't come to fruition, but there is Jaune, and his character is vastly different than in most other stories. I won't say more here, but he is quite older than usual.**

Ruby sat at the table, hands folded in front of her, staring at the girl across from her. She had long black hair, contrasting to her pale white skin. Her amber eyes seemed to glow as they too in her surroundings. To Ruby's left sat Yang, and o her right, at the head of the table, sat Qrow Branwen.

The Lord had called for a welcoming feast, though only with the four of them. Belladonna, as the Visitor, Lord Branwen as the head of the castle, Ruby as the one requested, and Yang as Ruby's vassal. Also present, though usually not counted, were the servers and poison testers.

The meal was one of the most opulent Ruby had ever had the luck to partake in. honey glazed roasted venison, served with light and fluffy white bread, and a rich and creamy sauce. Also served was fresh caught herring, seasoned with imported spices. To drink, there was a locally brewed mead, or imported Mistralian wine.

After everyone had eaten their fill, the servers cleared the table, pouring after meal cider, he only sweet thing they had on such short notice, before retreating along with the poison testers. Lord Qrow lead back in his chair, taking a sip of his drink, then he spoke.

"So, miss Belladonna, you have come here to speak, so…..speak"

Blake slowly set her cup down, before brushing her hair back from her face, looking up at the Lord.

"Lord Branwen, as you know, I come from one of the ancient lines, Belladonna." he nodded. "Well, I have taken it upon myself to find the other two, the Rose and Schnee, and together, to unravel the mystery from thousands of years ago."

"You are referring to the mystery of the divide?" he asked, raising one brow in surprise "historians have tried for generations to figure that out, with no luck"

"What is the divide?" asked Ruby, who hadn't heard of it before. "What does my name have to do with it?"

The other three people looked at her incredulously. finally , Qrow spoke again.

"I suppose you never had time to learn about your family history?" Ruby shook her head.

"My mother disappeared when I was only five. I've been here since" said ruby, and Qrow nodded.

"Well your last name, Rose, is very important. It is one of the three most powerful and influential bloodlines in the history of Remnant. The other two being Belladonna" he gestured to Blake "and Schnee, up north." Lord Branwen leaned back, taking another sip of cider "a long time ago, before kingdoms, before knights, samurai and vikings, there were just people. They all lived on what is now Vale and Vacuo, a giant colony, population: everyone" he paused, turning look at the tapestry on the wall behind him. "They were called The Pure."

Ruby, Yang and Blake all leaned in to listen to the story, as it wasn't told often.

"After many years, there were three young boys who lived in a Village south of The Pure capital. They were named Marwin Schnee, Quan Belladonna, and Nathaniel Rose. they were each powerful in their own way. Marwin was fearless, to the point of recklessness. Quan on the other hand, was precise, and intelligent. And Nathaniel was chivalrous, honorable. Each was different, but together, they were unstoppable. People called them simply The Three"

"What happened?" asked Ruby, her voice quiet.

"No one knows" answered Yang, speaking for the first time since the feast began. Yang was staring at the tapestry as well.

"One day, The Three just, broke apart. Each gathered followers, and the first two, Marwin and Quan, left to find new lands."

Qrow and Blake silently nodded, and Ruby bowed her head, thinking.

"It was said that The Three left clues to what had happened, but there is no confirmation on that. Just a vague description of the first clue." added Blake. Qrow looked at her surprised.

"I hadn't heard of that before." said he,

"Most people don't because it's just speculation." replied Blake.

"What are the first clue?" asked Ruby, curious.

Blake closed her eyes, struggling to remember. "It was…'the red rock on a flowers thorn, under light, the reason we're torn'. It was in the margins of a scroll left behind by Nathaniel."

Qrow and Ruby suddenly looked at each other, looks of surprise on their faces.

"You don't think…?" started Ruby

"Go get it..now" replied Qrow, his voice unusually excited. Ruby dashed out of the room, almost slipping in the hall. Blake and Yang looked curiously at the Lord, who was pacing in front of a window.

What was that about?" asked Blake, frowning slightly.

"Her sword!" he exclaimed.

"What about Ruby's sword?"

"The pommel, in the pommel is a ruby. And the name, the sword is name 'Rose Thorn', which would make it.."

"The red rock on a flowers thorn.." said Yang with excited wonder, just as Ruby came sliding back into the room with her sword in its sheath. Carefully, she pulled it out of the sheath, putting it into a slot in the window ledge.

"Why is there a slot in the window ledge?" asked Blake and Yang at the same time.

"For mounting crossbows in times of siege. But it will also work for this. Luck the sun is shining on this side of the castle, or else we'd have to wait hours."

The sword went into the slot with a _thunk_ a the ruby in the pommel glowed blood red in the sunlight, casting a red shadow on the stone floor.

"It...it's a map!" shouted Ruby, and indeed it was, however there was something off about it, as it was a place no one had seen before. Then finally, it clicked for Blake.

"It's backwards! Turn your sword around" Ruby did so, and suddenly, a distinct shape was seen, it was, undeniably, the realm of Atlas.

* * *

They had packed their supplies, and gotten on their horses. Qrow had told them not to use their personal horses, as they would have to trade them in for horses better suited to the Northlands. Despite this, Blake had insisted on taking her horse, Moon. Ruby and Yang however, rode borrowed horses, as they set out for the best seller of horses in all of remnant, Jaune Arc.

Jaune Arc was a weathered old Knight, retired to the relatively peaceful island of Patch to sell horses of all breeds. When they arrived, he was caring for a beautiful chestnut mare, who was pregnant.

"Hail, Horse-master. We have come for horses suited to the Northlands!" called ruby, reining in her horse, a mild tempered bay. Yang also stopped her horse, with some difficulty, as the black stallion was quite prideful. Blake's horse, a grey mare who seemed to quite like her stopped with no problem.

Jaune looked up from the mare, brushing off his hands.

"Northern horses, eh? Yeah, I have a few at the moment. If we're lucky they'll even like you." he gave a light laugh. "Come on, dismount and I will get you all set up."

Both Yang and Ruby hopped off their horses, Yang with the hope she wouldn't have to get back on, and headed towards the stables. Blake, however, stayed mounted, saying she would not be giving up the horse she had raised since it was a filly. Jaune just shrugged, knowing that, while the horse might not die in the cold north, it would have a harder time.

The Horse-master led them to the back of the stables, where four northern horses were tethered, two roan, one palomino, and one dun, all were stallions. Ruby, after petting all of them, chose the smaller roan horse, named Alpine. Yang chose, or rather, was chosen by, the palomino, who was named they had chosen and paid for the horses, the three were invited to stay overnight and then depart in the morning. All agreed, and Jaune regaled them with tales from his knight days, even pulling his famous sword/shield, Crocea Mors, much to Ruby's delight.

As they were shown to their rooms, Ruby asked one final question

"Why did you retire?"

Jaune sighed, having heard this many times.

"After The War, all the fighting, the panic, the near death almost every day, raising horses seemed like the most relaxing thing"

"You were in The War?" Ruby asked, not knowing that he had been that old.

"Just the end of it. I've been telling you stories all night, I don't have time for this one, but suffice to say, i was even at the Peace Ceremony."

"So….you knew...you knew my mother?"

Jaune became quiet. "Yes… but that is another story, one that I'll tell you some other day. For now, get your rest." he walked away, leaving the young Knight confused, and a little sad.

 **Well this chapter took an interesting turn. I really expected to make it to Atlas in this chapter, but now i guess it's a two-parter. O well, see you next week, and remember to review with any questions, comments, complaints or suggestions.**


	7. Moving North: Part Two

**Part two is here, a little late today, but still on the right day. it's also much shorter, but it's just a part two, basically what I couldn't fit in the last chapter. Enjoy, it's just traveling, character building, and then Atlas and stuff.**

The woman hummed softly, the tune familiar. The room was filled with bright, warm light, and Ruby felt safe. She was small, being held in her mother's arms as her mother rode through the fields. Half asleep, she could vaguely hear her mother's voice as she spoke to someone. Then she felt herself being handed off, the new person smelled different, and it scared her. She cried out for her mother, but the new person, a man, shushed her.

"This is your home now."

Ruby woke up with a start, shaking. She raised an arm, wiping away tears. She was crying, but she didn't remember why. She looked around, at her two companions, still sleeping, crowded together in Jaune's spare room. Getting up, she stretched, moving over to the window.

The sun had yet to rise, however, the horizon was getting brighter. It was time to move on. She walked over to the two other girls, gently waking them up. Blake got up with no complaint, but Yang flatly refused at first to even 'wake up at this unholy hour'. It was only by threatening to cut her hair off with Rose Thorn that Ruby was able to get her up and dressed.

After taking turns washing up, they went down to the kitchen, where Jaune himself was busy making a simple breakfast of fried eggs and buttered bread. He quickly served them, then dashed off to care for the horses, saying that their horses were ready to go whenever they were.

While Yang and Blake oth ate hungrily, Ruby picked at her food, her dream starting to come back to her. Maybe is was how the light in the room was similar, or the tune Yang was humming as she ate. Suddenly, Yang looked over at her.

"Are you ok? You have barely eaten."

Ruby looked at the food, then pushed it away. "I'm just not very hungry" she got up and left the room, calling over her shoulder "We should get moving soon, before the sun gets any higher" and then she was out of the house.

Blake and Yang looked at each other, before getting up as well, heading out front where their horses were harnessed. Ruby was already mounted on Alpine, Blake and Yang mounted Moon and Picasso respectively.

They rode out, after thanking Jaune, who promised to care for their rented horses until they got back. It was only after that had been riding for almost an hour that Blake and Yang spoke to Ruby, pulling their horses alongside hers.

"Ruby, what was really bothering you this morning" asked Yang. Ruby tried to spur her horse on faster, but Yang stopped her. "Ruby, please, talk to us."

Ruby sighed, before finally speaking. "I had a dream about my mother last night"

She seemed to sink lower on her horse as she said it. Blake and Yang didn't know what to say.

"What happened with your mother?" Blake asked, looking sidelong at Ruby.

"She left" Ruby replied, her voice shaking slightly "when I was very young"

Blake nodded solemnly, and they rode in silence for the next few miles.

Ruby suddenly spoke, as if the conversation had never ended. "It's always the same. She's holding me, humming a lullaby, then she hands me over to someone, and then I wake up."

The other two girls looked at Ruby, who was crying again. Bringing the horses to a stop, Blake and Yang pulled Ruby into a hug, as she cried and cried.

"My father"' said Yang suddenly " he's been outcast. I need to get him back" the others could hear her desperation to save her father.

Blake stayed silent, and after they made camp that night, she only grew quieter. That night in camp, while Yang was on watch, Ruby slipped into Blake's tent, laying next to her in the dark, hugging her.

The cold winds of Atlas had indeed been hard on Moon, whose thin coat couldn't keep out the cold as well. However, Blake had brought several blankets, which she draped over him when they stopped. Ever since the night almost two months ago, Ruby and Blake had grown closer.

They had been riding for several days in Atlas, asking anyone they came across for directions. They had been on the trail for several hours when a voice spoke from behind them turning around, they saw a Viking girl, dressed like a hunter, bow drawn, as she aimed at the three of them.

"State your purpose!" She shouted, her aim shifting between the three.

"We are travelers from the south, searching for someone, as well as the Schnee Clan's current location. Could you lead us there?"

The woman lowered her bow slightly, the axes on her belt clinking together slightly. "Who is it you seek?"

The girls looked among each other, then Ruby shrugged. "The eldest Schnee child"

Ruby, yang and Blake watched her with surprise, as she lowers her bow, returning it to her back, before spreading her arms.

"Well, you have found her. I am Weiss Schnee." She walked closer. "And you red to get your horse into someplace warm" she added, looking at Blake. She strode off in the direction they had been going, becoming them to follow. After only another hour of travel, they arrived at a small village.

"Welcome to my village" she said, walking towards the stables. "Be careful or you still may end up dead"

 **Well that's that chapter. Lots of Ruby background, and a little bit of Yang. I do not regret the shipping that I'm doing. YOU CAN'T STOP ME HAHAHAHA. actually you could, but nevermind.**


	8. The Plan: Part One

**Just a little heist planning chapter, Weiss disobeying her father and stuff.**

Weiss walked casually into the village, leading three not so casual strangers to the stables.

"What do you mean we may still end up dead?!" asked Ruby

"Well, you're strangers. We are always wary of strange people, especially such...varied travelers" she said, looking once more at them. After reaching the stables, she put the Roan and Palomino in normal stalls, but had to put the Grey in a stall with another horse, so it wouldn't freeze. As added precaution, she also covered her with a blanket.

Turning to the trio, she gestured at them to follow her, leading them to the largest house, located in the center of the village.

"You should consider yourself lucky" she said, as they went through the door "My father is out at another village, meaning that currently, I am in charge" the group was about to go the the fire to warm up, when Weiss stopped them.

"I'm afraid you all will have to relinquish your weapons, unless you wish to engage in a fight to the death." guiding them to a small antechamber, she watched as Blake and Ruby stored their Wakizashi and Shortsword respectively.

"And you?" she said, looking at Yang pointedly.

"I would, If i could detach my fists." Yang replied.

After an awkward pause, Weiss hersel removed all her weapons save for the odd looking knife at her waist.

"You're carrying a weapon" Ruby said, stating the obvious.

"Well that's because I, unlike you, have to worry about assassins." suddenly her eyes narrowed "are you three assassins?" she said, backing up slightly.

"No, No, not us!" Ruby said hurriedly, "I'm Ruby, Rose." she added

"And I am Blake Belladonna"

Weiss looked back and forth between them,wariness turning to understanding.

"What do you really expect us to accomplish by coming together?" asked Weiss, turning to the kitchen, preparing food, a thick bread and goat stew. After serving them, she sat facing them.

"So…" she said, crossing her arms "what is your plan?"

The other girls looked at one another, wondering what to say. Then Ruby spoke for them:

"Well, we were wondering if..there were any strange or...unique and also an heirloom perhaps?"

Weiss looked thoughtful, then shrugged "No, nothing really comes to mind" she said. "The only inheritance I know of is my father's position as chieftain."

The other three looked disappointed. They had expected to find something like Ruby's sword, with a map to the next clue.

"Are you sure?" asked Blake "Maybe a journal? Or anything?"

Weiss thought for a minute. "Hmmm… there is a chest in my father's room that's always locked. The only problem is my brother has the key" Weiss said "He wouldn't give it up very easily, and he wears it around his neck"

For a moment, everyone just looked at each other.

"I think I have a plan" said Yang.

 **Cliffhanger! See if you can guess what the Plan Involves. As always, review with and questions, comments, complaints, or suggestions!**


	9. The Plan: Part Two

**Honestly. I didn't have an actual plan for this chapter.**

Weiss waited, going over the plan in her mind. She had agreed to it, on the one condition that they take her with them. They had had some trouble with the plan; Ruby wasn't thrilled about her part in it, but she agreed for the sake of them all.

Now, Ruby was standing behind her in the entrance hall, Blake and Yang behind her, each wearing one sword on their hip, acting as Ruby's guards. Ruby herself was wearing all her armor, newly polished, sword sheathed at her side, the red ruby on the pommel glinting.

Eventually, Weiss heard her father returning, Whitley in tow. They opened the door, discussing some matter of state. Then they noticed the three strangers in their house, three armed strangers.

"Weiss, what is the meaning of this?" her father asked, most likely thinking they were hired assassins. He pushed Whitley behind him,great father that he was.

"Father" she started "this is Ruby Rose, a Knight from Vale. she is here to.." Weiss hesitated, thinking about how Ruby must feel. "She is here to court Whitley."

Whatever her father and brother had been expecting, it wasn't that. Whitley looked shocked for a moment, before composing himself. Her father looked pensive, considering it. She knew that her father would fall for it, regardless of what whitly wanted, as it would give him influence into the Vale kingdom.

"Whitley? I'll leave this up to you." said her father, heading to his office. Whitley moved past weiss, examining Ruby closely. He moved his hand to caress her face, but Blake and Yang stopped him by putting their hands on their hilts.

"You can touch her when we have your answer" said blake, which was a tradition followed in Mistral, the husband was unable to touch his wife until they were engaged. Whitley frowned, clearly annoyed.

"This isn't Mistral, girl. This Is Atlas, here, the rules are different."

"Whitley, these girls are new here, let them follow their customs. A lack of understanding can only lead to conflict" said Weiss

Whitley sighed, "Fine, I accept her as my wife."

Ruby blushed and held out her hand for him to take, though Weiss, Blake and Yang could tell it was an angry blush rather than a coy one. This was the part of the plan that Ruby had argued against the most, as now, as she was "engaged" to Whitley, she had to follow Viking tradition.

Now, with the next phase in action, Weiss showed Blake and Yang to a unoccupied house used for visiting Clan Chiefs. Today though, it was empty. Weiss decided to stay with them, ot wanting to be in her house that night, where Whitley would have Ruby in his bed.

They didn't expect anything to actually happen, if Ruby could manage to slip him some of the moonwater, which would hopefully make him pass out. They waited, the sun sinking, the air turning colder. It was long after midnight when there was finally a knock on the door.

"Ruby? Is that you?" asked Weiss, from the other side of the door.

"Yes" she sounded tired and shaken. Weiss opened the door, showing a disheveled Ruby. however, as tired as she looked she was smiling, holding up a bronze key.

"You got it?" Blake nearly shouted as Ruby walked inside.

"What happened Ruby? You were supposed to be back already." added Yang, sitting Ruby in a chair by the fire. Ruby sighed, holding her hands out to the blaze.

"Weiss, no offense, but your brother is extremely paranoid. It took me forever to get him to drink the moonwater, and even then i had to add it to wine"

Weiss shrugged "no offense taken.

"And after that, had to wait for you father to fall asleep so he wouldn't see me sneaking out."

"So everyone is asleep?" Weiss asked. Ruby nodded. "Then it's time to get in there"

* * *

They settled on just Blake and Weiss going. Ruby couldn't face going in there so soon, and Yang couldn't be quiet to save her life. As they crept through the dark house, Weiss noticed that blake made almost no noise, a skill she thought was highly valuable.

They approached the office, making sure not to disturb anything as to keep the drugged Whitley asleep. Upon entering, they realized that, having no windows at all, the office was too dark to see anything.

"Blake...I can't see anything" Weiss whispered.

"I can, a little. Guide me to the chest, I'll bring it back, we'll steal the whole thing" said Blake.

"No, let's not do that, just bring it over to the door. If we take the chest, we most likely won't make it out of Atlas alive." Blake nodded, before creeping into the room.

"Ok, go forward until you reach the desk...once you do, go to the left...there should be a drawer, open it." she heard a drawer open. Ok, reach into the back, do you feel it? It's wooden, engraved with designs, brass lock on the front?

"Yes, I got it"

A few seconds later, the drawer closed and blake reappeared in front of Weiss, scaring her slightly. Blake set it down on the ground, the box about a foot long, half as wide, and deep enough to certainly hold many papers.

Weiss pulled out the key, putting it in the lock, opening it with a soft click. Lifting the lid, they both saw dozens of letters both received letters and copies of sent letters. Weiss pulled off the top one, it was addressed to an "C" in Mistral, from "J" who must have been her father, Jacques.

Looking at the rest, they saw that the rest were also all to and from "C". Weiss read some of the first one:

" _They continue to put up resistance, J. these associates of mine, while talented, are just not good enough to get this job done. I will require more Lien if you want this done…"_

And the next letter

" _C, despite my high position, I am not simply an endless resource of money. However, payback against I is most definitely worth it. Here's another 5000, I Hope this will be sufficient for…"_

Weiss had to stop reading, not because she was too disturbed, but because she had heard a sound from her father's room. Quickly shoving as many letters as she could into her small bag, she closed and locked the box, giving it to Blake to put back.

Almost a minute later, Just as Blake and Weiss were going to sneak back out they were stopped by a voice behind them, cold and calculating like his father's.

"Weiss, you wouldn't happen to know where my future wife is , would you?"

 **The Stunning conclusion to "The Plan" will be here next week, and I actually have a pla for that. As always, review with any questions, comments, complaints, or suggestions!**


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